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In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic and reached/discovered North America. Following that, Great Britain and other countries started to colonize on American soil.
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The first permanent English settlement in America, and eventually led to the Virginia General Assembly being formed.
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The first self-governing bicameral body in the colonies which established the House of Burgesses, and created laws for the colony of Virginia.
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Plymouth was created by Separatists/Pilgrims as a religiously pure settlement with no separation of church and state.
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The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut was the first written constitution of the colonies.
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Bacon’s Rebellion started as a dispute between citizens and their government over Native Americans and was one of the first rebellions against British rule. It led to more enforcement over the people of Virginia, and a larger separation between races.
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The Great Awakening was a religious revival of different forms of Christianity, especially Southern Baptism. It caused a separation between the North and the South because of the tolerance of the Baptist church, and also led to a strong sense of individuality in the colonies.
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Stono’s Rebellion was the largest slave uprising in the British colonies and led stricter laws to enforce slavery and a growing fear among the colonists of another uprising.
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The French and Indian War was caused by disputes over land ownership in the Ohio region. Due to this war, the British government ended Salutary Neglect in the colonies.
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The end of Salutary Neglect was due to the French and Indian War and led to strict control of the colonies by the British. This angered the colonists and eventually led to the beginning of the American revolution.
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The Stamp Act was a tax on printed and paper goods, and it caused the colonists to start to rebel. It led to the creation of the Sons of Liberty and the Stamp Act Congress.
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A group of British soldiers fired into a crowd of protesters in Boston, killing five colonists. The soldiers were tried in British courts, so they weren’t punished, angering the colonists.
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The Tea Act was a tax on imported tea from British tea companies. The Tea Act was the cause of the Boston Tea Party.
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The Intolerable Acts were enforced after the Boston Tea Party, the harsh treatment of Boston led to the unification of the colonies against the British.
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The Declaration of Independence was the colonies’ official declaration of war against the British and was the foundation for their first government.
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The Articles of Confederation were the first written constitution of the United States and was created during the Revolutionary War. It was eventually replaced by the U.S. Constitution.
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The Battle of Yorktown was the battle where the British army surrendered and was the official end to the Revolutionary War.
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The Constitutional Convention led to the establishment of the three branches of the U.S. government, the structure of each branch (the Great Compromise), and the division of power between the Federal government and the States.
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The U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1788 without the Bill of Rights and was the outline of the Federal government. The Bill of Rights was added later due to opposition from the Anti-Federalists.
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George Washington was elected as the 1st President of the United States in 1789 and during his presidential terms, he established the Judiciary Act, the U.S. Bank, and the Independent Cabinet.
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The Judiciary Act established the U.S. Judicial system and the hierarchy of different courts. It also decided that cases dealing with federal law would immediately go to the Supreme Court.
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The Bank of the U.S. was created as a part of Alexander Hamilton's economic plan. It was jointly owned by private stockholders and the federal government, and the bank loans funded industry. Stockholders were able to profit off the bank as well.
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The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution and ratified in 1791 in order to appease the Anti-Federalists. It protects Americans' individual rights.
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Jay's Treaty resolved conflicts between the U.S. and Great Britain. The British agreed to leave Northwest territory and stop blocking American exports, and the U.S. agreed to pay off all pre-revolutionary debts.
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Pickney's Treaty gave the U.S. the Right of Deposit in New Orleans and allowed U.S. trading ships to use both the ports and warehouses on the New Orleans coast. It also helped establish good relations between the U.S. and Spain.
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Marbury v. Madison established the power of judicial review in the Judicial Branch, which allowed laws to be declared unconstitutional.
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During Jefferson's presidency, the United States bought land from France which allowed for westward expansion in the future.
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The Embargo Act prohibited all American ships from trading with foreign ports, which mostly affected the Nort due to their reliance on exports for economic profit.
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The War of 1812 started due to the territorial expansion of the United States. The war divided the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans and led to the death of the Federalist Party, an increase of industry and manufacturing, and the removal of Native Americans from Northwest land.
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The Hartford Convention was a series of meetings from 1814 to 1815 during the War of 1812 and was only for Federalists. It led to limits being placed on Congress in regard to declaring war, embargoes, and admissions of states.
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Clay's American System was created to boost the economy after the War of 1812, it consisted of a protective tariff to boost American industry, the Second Bank of the United States, and the National Road.
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The Boundaries Convention created the Northern boundary of the Louisiana territory at the 49th parallel and created the boundary between the United States and Britain in Oregon territory (54th parallel).
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The United States bought Florida from Spain in 1819 which created the Northern boundary of Spanish territory. Spain also revoked their claim of Oregon territory.
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The Missouri Compromise admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state to balance out the powers in Congress. It was meant to resolve tensions over slavery but was later repealed.
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The Monroe Doctrine prevented further European colonization in the Western hemisphere, while also declaring the United States as the most powerful country in that hemisphere as well. The U.S. also declared neutrality regarding European affairs.
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During John Quincy Adams' presidency, the U.S. Naval Academy was created, and there was progress made in both infrastructure and the military. His election also showed flaws in the presidential voting system, due to the popular vote going to Jackson but Adams winning the election.
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The Election of 1828 was the first election between Democrats and National Republicans. Jackson's campaign focused on benefitting the "common man" which increased nationalism and unity in the American population, eventually leading to an increase in the "Manifest Destiny" ideology.
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The Tariff of Abominations was passed in 1828 and raised the tariff to 45% from 25% in 1816. It was created to protect Northern industry and boost the national economy, but it only furthered the divide between the North and South.
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The Indian Removal Act led to the forced removal of Native Americans from their land to live in Western land instead. This allowed for westward expansion and further land development for citizens, but negatively impacted the Native American population of the U.S. as well.
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The Caucus System was replaced by political conventions which allowed for a more democratic election process in 1831. During this time period, voting requirements were lessened in order to increase citizens' political involvement.
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The Tariff of 1832 was created to replace the Abominable Tariff of 1828 but was opposed by Southern states. South Carolina attempted to nullify the tariff, resulting in the creation of the Force Act and a rise in tensions between the federal government and southern states.
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The Whig Party was a coalition of nationalists, states' rights advocates, and Northern industrialists that opposed Andrew Jackson's policies. In 1840, William Henry Harrison, a Whig candidate, won the presidential election over Democrat candidate Van Buren.
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Texas seceded from Mexico in 1836 and was admitted into the United States in 1845 as a slave state. This led to the Mexican-American War in 1846 and a rise in disputes over slavery and westward expansion.
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The Mexican-American War lasted from 1846 to 1848 and was caused by the westward expansion of territory by the U.S. and the annexation of Texas. It resulted in an armistice between the U.S and Mexico and the secession of Mexican land to the United States.
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The Treaty of Guadalupe Hildago established peace between the United States and Mexico after the Mexican-American War. It also recognized the Rio Grande as the Southern border between the United States and Mexico.
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The Compromise of 1850 was five bills that established whether the new states acquired after the Mexican-American War were slave states or free states. California was admitted as a free state and the slave trade in D.C. ended which benefitted the North. The Fugitive Slave Law was passed and Utah and New Mexico were unrestricted which benefitted the South.
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Due to the Kansas/Nebraska Bill, the territory was split into two and popular sovereignty decided whether the states would be free or slave-holding. The bill caused problems because it conflicted with the Missouri Compromise and the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad.
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The Dredd Scott v. Sanford case ruled that enslaved people were considered "property" and therefore couldn't sue. It also raised questions about the Missouri Compromise and created more tension between the North and the South.
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In 1860, Lincoln won the presidential election over the Democratic candidates. This caused an uproar in the South, leading to South Carolina's secession from the United States.
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The Civil War started due to the divide between the North and South over slavery. The Southern states seceded from the United States starting in 1861, and the war lasted until 1865 when the South surrendered to the North at the Appottomax Courthouse.
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As part of the North's "Anaconda Plan", Ulysses S. Grant led the war in the west and the North took control of all of the Mississippi River except for Vicksburg. This isolated the Southern states and limited their resources.
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The Emancipation Proclamation declared that all enslaved people living in the Confederate states were freed. While this didn't directly abolish slavery, it encouraged Southern states to rejoin the United States.
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Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865. He was replaced by Andrew Johnson who was a Southern Democratic slaveholder. This caused problems in congressional Reconstruction due to Johnson's political views.
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The Appomattox Courthouse Battle was the last battle of the Civil War. The South surrendered after General Lee was surrounded in Virginia by Grant and Sherman's troops.
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The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States and was ratified in 1865. It was the first step of Congressional Reconstruction after the Civil War.
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Congressional Reconstruction officially started in 1866 and was created to protect the civil liberties of African Americans in the South, and enforce new federal laws. Due to the Compromise of 1877, the Reconstruction era was short-lived.
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The Credit Mobilier Scandal was exposed in 1872 but occurred in 1867. Stockholders in the Union Pacific Railroad formed a company in which they sold contracts in order to build the railroad. They also sold shares in the railroad to politicians in order to profit. The exposure of its scandal also exposed corruption among politicians during the Gilded Age.
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Military Reconstruction was a more radical part of Congressional Reconstruction that divided the South into five military districts. It protected freed African Americans and allowed them to vote and run for office positions.
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The 14th amendment was ratified in 1868 and granted citizenship to all Americans in the U.S., which included emancipated African Americans.
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The Transcontinental Railroad was completed in Utah in 1869 and allowed for the Western market to expand along with other industries across America. The railroad also led to corruption such as the Credit Mobilier Scandal and pooling.
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The 15th amendment granted voting rights to African Americans as a part of Congressional Reconstruction. It wasn't enforced in the South after Reconstruction ended and Jim Crow Laws took effect.
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The Panic of 1873 was caused by over-expansion in industry, and it affected both America and Europe. The economic crisis negatively impacted agriculture and small businesses in the South, which aided in ending Reconstruction due to the rise in economic and racial tensions.
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Rutherford Hayes won the presidential election in 1876 and during his presidency, Reconstruction ended due to the Compromise of 1877, as well as the Civil Service Reform and the Great Railroad Strike.
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The Great Railroad Strike was in response to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company cutting workers' wages. It was the first mass nationwide strike in America and caused the federal government to become involved in the economy.
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The Compromise of 1877 ended Congressional Reconstruction in the South, which included a non-enforcement of the 14th and 15th amendments. It also guaranteed the Democratic Party at least one cabinet seat, and federal money to rebuild the South.
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The Chinese Exclusion Act was passed to prevent Chinese workers from immigrating to the United States. It was the first immigration law that targeted a specific country's people.
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The Bureau of Labor was established in 1884 as part of the Department of Interior to collect information and regulate labor and economy in the United States.
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The riot was originally an organized strike by the Knights of Labor, but turned violent and resulted in many deaths and injuries. The aftermath caused a rise in xenophobia and a loss of power for labor unions due to the association of unions with violence.
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The Dawes Severalty Act distributed Native American preservation land to families in an attempt to assimilate Natives to American culture. The act included the creation of boarding schools for Native children as another form of assimilation.
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The Interstate Commerce Act was passed in 1887 and was the first federal regulation of the railroad industry. The act regulated rates and prevented monopolies.
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The Sherman Antitrust Act outlawed trusts and monopolies in order to promote economic competition and prevent future strikes and unionizing among workers.
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The Homestead Strike was a lockout in response to Henry Clay Frick cutting his workers' wages. It turned into a violent protest due to Frick's use of Pinkerton workers. This caused the end of unions in the steel industry as a whole and was a setback in the fight for workers' rights.
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The Pullman Strike was lead by Eugene Debbs, the founder of the Socialist Party in America. It successfully shut down American business nationwide by halting train transportation and led to federal involvement. It was one of the most successful nationwide strikes and inspired other workers to unionize as well.
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The Spanish-American War started in 1898 and was caused by U.S. involvement in Cuba's war for independence. It ended with U.S. victory and the Treaty of Paris, which gave the U.S. the territories of Guam and Puerto Rico, and allowed Cuba to become independent from Spain.
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As a result of the Spanish-American War, the Philippines were ceded from Spain and overtaken by the United States. The Philippines worked towards independence from the U.S. up until World War Two when the threat of Japan haltered any progress.
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Hawaii was declared an independent republic until it was annexed into the U.S. in 1898 and declared a territory in 1900 despite protests from both the people of Hawaii and U.S. citizens. The sugar industry was the main reason behind Hawaii's annexation.
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As a result of the Spanish-American War, the territories of Guam and Puerto Rico were ceded from Spain and given to the United States. The U.S. used the islands as a military presence in the Caribbean in order for the Panama Canal to be finished.
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William McKinley was assassinated in 1901 during his presidency, which led to Theodore Roosevelt taking his place for the rest of his term. Roosevelt as able to make a lot of changes in both foreign policy and domestic policy due to his philosophy of "Big Stick Diplomacy".
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The Hay/Bunau-Varilla Treaty between Panama and the United States was signed in 1903 and allowed for the construction of the Panama Canal to begin. The cost of the canal was over 460 million dollars and was finished in 1914.
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In the Election of 1904, Theodore Roosevelt ran his campaign of the "Square Deal" which outlined his plan for domestic policy wich included: protection of natural resources, protection of consumers, and trustbusting. This deal was appealing to the American public and was implemented once Roosevelt won the election.
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The U.S. Forest Service was created as a conservation effort by the federal government. Roosevelt prioritized the conservation of natural resources and the Forest Service was part of his "Square Deal".
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The Gentlemen's Agreement was an informal agreement made between the U.S. and Japan that prevented Japanese immigrants from entering the United States. The U.S. didn't create restrictions on Japanese immigration as long as Japan prevented emigration to America.
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The Election of 1912 between Taft and Wilson brought to light the ideas of "New Nationalism" versus "New Freedom" as well as the "Triple Wall of Protection/Privilege" which included changes to the tariff, banking, and monopolies.
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The 16th amendment was ratified in 1913 and allowed Congress to create and control a federal income tax. This gave the federal government more power than the states since previously, only states had income taxes.
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The 17th Amendment was ratified in 1913 and allowed for the direct election of senators by the American public. This amendment prioritized civil liberties by putting the power in the hands of the people rather than letting state legislature elect senators.
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The Federal Reserve Act allowed for a certain number of Reserve backs to print money, controlling the amount of money in circulation. It also lowered inflation and encouraged employment.
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World War One started in 1914, and the U.S. began its involvement in 1917. The war not only promoted the need for military and naval power in the U.S., but also led to an increase in manufacturing and Wilson's election in 1916.
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The National Park Service was created in 1916 in order to preserve and protect national parks and monuments. Although some national parks were established such as Yellowstone, the National Park Service was able to protect the land itself and prevent any future damage to the land.
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During the First Red Scare, the Department of Justice conducted raids led by Attorney General Palmer in an attempt to deport radical leftists/supporters of communism and socialism. During the Red Scare, there was a rising wave of xenophobia and discrimination towards Asian and Eastern European immigrants, leading to the creation of Emergency Immigration Quota and the National Origins Act.
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The Red Summer was a series of race riots, raids, and attacks on African American communities in the Midwest by white supremacists. Cities like Tulsa and Chicago had large African American populations due to the Great Migration, so they were heavily affected by the Red Summer.
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The 19th amendment was ratified in 1920 and legalized women's suffrage in America. Although this amendment gave women the right to vote, there was still discrimination against women of color that prevented them from voting.
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Prohibition occurred in America from 1920 to 1933 until the repeal of the 18th amendment by the 21st amendment. During Prohibition, the consumption and production of alcohol were illegal, which led to a rise in crime in both urban and rural areas.
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The Washington Naval Conference was a disarmament conference held outside of the League of Nations due to President Hoover's foreign policy issues. During the conference, the U.S. established the 5 Power Treaty, 4 Power Treaty, and 9 Power Treaty in hopes of preventing another World War.
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The Stock Market Crash occurred in 1929 and was one of the major causes of the Great Depression. The Great Depression lasted until 1939 and was America's longest and most damaging financial crisis. Due to President Hoover's lack of direct relief during his presidential term, the American public pinned the blame on him, causing him to lose the 1932 presidential election.
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The Dust Bowl was a six-year-long period of dust storms that severely impacted the Great Plains. It was also one of the factors that led to the Great Depression due to its impact on agriculture production.
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The election of 1932 was between Republican candidate Herbert Hoover and Democrat candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt's "New Deal" and First 100 Days was very impactful due to the changes made in the economy and legislation in order to provide relief but also prevent another Great Depression.
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The 21st amendment was ratified in 1933, and it legalized alcohol, which ended Prohibition. In order to raise revenue as part of the New Deal, the Beer and Wine Revenue Act was established to add a federal tax to all alcohol products.
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The Indian Reorganization Act was ratified in 1934 and undid the effects of the Dawes Severalty Act. It established tribal sovereignty, and decreased federal control of Native land, allowing Native Americans to establish their own laws and ended American assimilation in preservations.
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The Social Security Act was part of the New Deal and created a federal retirement fund/disability plan for Americans. There was underlying racial bias due to Social Security excluding homeworkers and agricultural workers, but the act was later expanded to include more citizens.
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The Fair Labor Standards Act replaced the NRA and established a nationwide minimum wage and maximum hour limit. It also restricted child labor, stating that minors couldn't be hired for dangerous jobs.
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The Lend-Lease Act allowed the U.S. to "lend" or "lease" war supplies to any country necessary to the defense of the U.S., which included Great Britain during World War Two. This allowed the U.S. to remain neutral while still supporting the Allies. The Lend-Lease Act caused a shortage of materials such as fabrics and oils leading to the creation of synthetics. It also led to high industrial production in the United States.
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The Bombing of Pearl Harbor was the first attack on the United States and led to the U.S.'s declaration of war against the Axis powers. This also created a war in the Pacific as well as a war in Europe. Because of the United States' industrial power, the Allies were able to overpower the Axis powers.
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The bombing of Hiroshima quickly ended the war in the Pacific and was also the first successful use of nuclear weaponry in war. The use of the atomic bomb by the U.S. started the Cold War between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. after World War Two ended.
